Ben Shapiro

How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth

Brainwashed

Todd Luallen

A bit dated. But the quotes and data are as shocking as ever. I'm sure this book was a bit more eye-opening when it was first released (2004). Today it comes as no surprise to most that there is only one view accepted on campus. It's become so much a problem that even those on the left that view diversity of thought as the best way to fine-tune arguments and allow the "cream to rise to the top," have started to form organizations that push for more variation. 5 stars for the research.

Emmett

I like viciousness in debate; in vitriolic sentiments from both sides there is absolute contrast, balance. Emotionally, it detaches observers and makes things easier to look at from an objective point of view. It gives the advantage of weighing. Energetically, the cutting and the clawing are the best parts of debate in an open arena of ideas. It's about who punctures whose point, who gets the upper hand, who collapses whose argument. (And more slyly, who is the one to be pushed so close to the edge that he reaches desperately for an ad hominem; and who is the one to last.)

This is where Ben Shapiro and his work come in - intellectually incisive and factually-reliant, he generally doesn't waste much time with verbiage and rhetorical decoration. Shapiro came to my attention via a friend's recommendation of conservative news sites, when, as part of a personal project on, broadly-speaking, 'looking at social issues and ideas' for oneself (being informed on all sides on prevalent ideas floating about before forming an opinion), I expressed to him the disappointment of not finding a contrasting view to the current zeitgeist, the contrary voice, the 'other side of the story'. Subsequently, I found his recorded speeches on youtube. (Here him speak for yourself here.)

This book is as good as any of his speeches, but arguably his speeches are a lot better. It is anchored by a list of references, and there are some very useful arguments and case studies to furnish one's mind with and think about. However, perhaps due to the word allowance for books, it felt a bit long-winded.

Of note: those who may not share the same moral vantage point as he does may find certain parts of the book reduced to verbal heckling. His writing style does have this effect at some points - leading to a 'beg the question', preaching to the choir conundrum. If you don't already implicitly share his viewpoint or agree with the tenets by which he is judging certain social issues, it's unlikely that you will be persuaded. However if you are, you will find its contents more valuable. This book is clearly written for conservatives/those with some form of interest in conservative values.

Brainwashed How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth

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